Therapeutic Hypothermia

The evidence surrounding the topic of therapeutic hypothermia post cardiac arrest is one lathered in potentially advantageous benefits, as well as harmful side effects. Although this procedure has potentially lifesaving and neurologically preserving implications, it does come with various side effects which can be dangerous in general or if left untreated. This paper will first address the many benefits, some of which include prolongation of life, retention of neurological function. It will then shed light upon some of the subsequent risks and harmful effects that are associated with therapeutic hypothermia. Lastly the paper will discuss why or why not the overall benefits outweigh the aggravating factors. Thus, being a topic of much controversy

American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that nearly 700 Americans die each day of sudden cardiac arrest (MI), or 250,000 every year, as many as 50,000 lives could be saved each year if certain critical interventions were made. (Freeman , 50) A patient who receives early life support measures and defibrillation within one to five minutes of arrest is much more likely to live and to retain normal brain function. The brain is often at a serious risk for irreparable brain damage related to anoxia and many other co-morbidities that are associated with cardiac arrest (MI). When a perfusing cardiac rhythm returns after a heart attack, the most important objective is to preserve brain function. The AHA and the Advanced Life Support Task Force of

Depending on the situation, the nurse must recognize the signs and symptoms in order to respond appropriately. But essentially, the goal for ventricular fibrillation is to restore blood flow throughout the body as quickly as possible to prevent damage to the client’s brain and other organs. Therefore, immediate CPR and defibrillation is necessary for the client. And if the CPR is successful, nurse must follow the Current resuscitation guidelines recommend inducing mild hypothermia in comatose adults who experience cardiac arrest. Hypothermia is defined as a core body temperature of 32°C to 34°C (89.6°F to 93.2°F) (Morrison et al., 2010). Induction should be started as soon as possible after circulation is restored, preferably within 60 minutes, and maintained for 12 to 24 hours (Morrison et al., 2010). The nurse must initiate the application of ice packs in the axilla and groin as well as administration of iced normal saline or lactated ringer’s IV fluids 30 mL/kg until hypothermia is

Treatment of hypothermia focuses on managing and maintaining ABCs, rewarming the patient, correcting dehydration and acidosis, and treating cardiac dysrhythmias.

In one series of tests, victims were put in large tubs of ice to lower their temperatures. Some victims were clothed, others not, some soaked for a long time, others a short time. Another series of tests put subjects naked in the outdoors. During both series, many subjects developed extreme rigor. The doctors measured changes in the victim's’ heart rate, body temperature, muscle reflexes, and other factors. If body temperature fell below 79.7 degrees Fahrenheit, doctors would begin to rewarm the body. Body rewarming techniques included using blankets, heat lamps, andin some cases, bodies of women who were forced to copulate with the

ii. Hypothermia, defined as a core body temperature less than 36C, is a relatively common occurrence in the unwarmed surgical patient. A mild degree of perioperative hypothermia can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. (Hart et al., 2011)

Therapeutic hypothermia, also called targeted temperature management, is a procedure that lowers the body's temperature in order to treat a heart that has suddenly stopped working (cardiac arrest). This procedure is used in emergency situations. During cardiac arrest, the brain cannot get enough oxygen. The brain also starts to swell, which can damage or kill brain cells. Therapeutic hypothermia helps reduce swelling in the brain. It also slows down the body's metabolism and allows the heart and brain to recover.

He then took samples of urine, blood, and mucous as body temperatures lowered. Through this tortured, Rascher used the data to create the hypothermia treatment called "active rapid rewarming." More than 90 people lost their lives for this medical advancement (Adams).

The literature is outdated; publishing dates ranged from 1997 to 2006. This article was published in 2009; only one of the articles used for research was within five years, all others were older. The literature would be more relevant if it was more recent. The literature that was used although it may have been outdated, did support the problem researched; using hypothermia as a means of treatment for a traumatic brain injury.

Cryotherapy is a medical procedure that involves the utilization of extreme cold to destroy any abnormal growth on the skin. It is used to alleviate skin disease such as warts, moles, skin tags, and solar keratoses. Cryotherapy is considered one of the most effective treatments for genital warts. The said procedure can only be done at a doctor's office.

Trauma, or unintentional (accidental) injuries, is the leading cause of death in individuals in the age groups 1-44 and is the fifth leading cause of mortality in the United states (Heron,2010). The major cause of preventable deaths from these traumas was caused by uncontrollable hemorrhaging (Alam, 2009). If doctors had more time to evaluate and repair the damage, they could prevent deaths caused by uncontrolled hemorrhaging. A new clinical trial using induced hypothermia is being conducted by Samuel A. Tisherman at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center (UMPC) Presbyterian Hospital to enable surgeons to fix the structural damage that would otherwise be fatal. This revolutionary procedure is called

Original research related to sedation management occurred in the year 2000 by Kress, Pohlman, O ' Connor, and Hall. Their findings served as a landmark study and initiated the impetus related to improving our sedation practices. According to Kress et al. (2000), daily interruption of sedation led to a decrease in the number of days on the ventilator in the intensive care unit. Several studies since this time have focused on the influence of sedation protocols, and outcomes. This paper will review the synthesis of the discovered studies and highlight the noted contraindications and inconsistencies. Also, explanations including a preliminary conclusion will be discussed.

It is possible that the Halothane triggered a genetically predisposed condition called “Malignant hyperthermia (MH)” in the patient Sharon who was having surgery on her knee.

The nursing topic that I am going to base my final paper on is the use of hypothermia therapy following the successful resuscitation of adult patients. I want to further understand the positive or the negative outcomes for patients after we have using the hypothermia therapy protocol. hypothermia _1_.pdf This is one of the research studies that I plan on using in the research for my finial paper. The PICO question that I will be trying to answer in my research paper will be " In the resuscitated adult patient does the use of hypothermia therapy have a reduced mortality rate for adult patients after they have been discharged from the hospital?" By using the definition of PICOT from our book, the P in my research is resuscitated adult patients,

Hypothermia is a common problem in surgical patients. Up to 70% of patients experience some degree of hypothermia that is undergoing anesthetic surgery. Complications include but are not limited to wound infections, myocardial ischemia, and greater oxygen demands. The formal definition of hypothermia is when the patient’s core body temperature drops below 36 degrees Celsius or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, the purpose of the paper is to synthesize what studies reveal about the current state of knowledge on the effects of pre-operative warming of patient’s postoperative temperatures. I will discuss consistencies and contradictions in the literature, and offer possible explanations for the inconsistencies.